Small-sized information processing apparatuses such as a cellular phone, a smartphone, or a music player have been developed. Operations of these information processing apparatuses are typically performed using a keyboard, a touch panel or the like which is installed on a main body of an apparatus.
An operation method using a keyboard or a touch panel installed on a main body of an apparatus may be inconvenient for a user. For example, to operate a cellular phone in a pocket, it is necessary to take the cellular phone out of the pocket. Further, an operation of taking a cellular phone out of a pocket and operating the cellular phone, for example, in busy traffic may be dangerous.
Thus, a technique for facilitating the operation of a small-sized information processing apparatus has been developed. There are Patent Documents 1 and 2 that discloses such techniques. Both apparatuses disclosed in the following related documents execute a predetermined process when the apparatuses are tapped by a user.
A music player disclosed in Patent Document 1 executes a predetermined process when a headphone is tapped. Specifically, when a headphone is tapped by a user, this music player determines three of 1) the state of the music player, 2) a region in which the headphone is tapped, and 3) the number of times the headphone is tapped. Such a music player determines a process to be executed, based on the results of the three determinations. For example, when the headphone is tapped one time during music is played, the music player performs a process of stopping the reproduction of music. In addition, when the headphone is tapped one time when music is stopped, the music player performs a process of starting the reproduction of music.
A portable electronic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 displays information using a display unit provided on a surface which is tapped by a user.